Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-02
DAILY HERALD.
DAILY HERALD.
MYSTERIOUSLY CUT.
Mr.. Lightfoot of Pasadena
Found Nearly Dead.
HIS THROAT BADLY GASHED.
Robbed of His Purse ana Lett to
Die ON the Santa Monica
Beach.
MYSTERIOUSLY CUT.
HIS THROAT BADLY GAsHED.

Notwithstanding the jollity and the
general felicity which prevailed at the
opening ball at the Hotel Arcadia, at
Santa Monica, there YVES one OF those
mv,terious oecurrances which, to say
the least. was startling in its suggestive
ness. About an hour after the train
left for the city on Thursday morning
Nrs. Lightfoot saw friend of hers in
che hallway and said she could not find
her husband and had not seen him for
eome time. She had gone to the ball
from Pasadens, where her husband is
building large hotel. and about train
time she had seen him for the last time
mn to the hour mentioned. She was
unite alarmed and afraid he had taken
the train to this city, supposing she had
also rope ON board. Her anxiety a. his
disappesrance was quieted by her friend,
Who told her that he would obtain her
= room and lot her husband know that
che was there in the morning. When
the HERALD representative left that
morning at 2 o'clock all the rooms hao
been engaged, but after some trouble q
room was obtained and Mrs. Lightfoot
vas taken thereto. The friend thenwent
to Mr.. Pierson and told him that Mr..
LiQhtfoot had disappeared and that Mrs.
LiRhtfoot was being much worried
Both of them started out on q search
about the hotel and after about half an
hour they discovered him lying on the
sand apparently dead with his throat
cut. They carried him inside the hotel
and DR.. E. Robbins, of Los Angeles,
Who was at the hotel, examined him and
found that his wrist was dislocate that
he had . slight concussion Of the brain,
that his face was SCARED all over, that
blood was ooxing from his nose, mouth
and ears, and that his teeth were
knocked out. He was unconscious and
a the examination proceeded it was
found that there was . long cash on his
neck underneath the maxilliary which
was from one and . fourth to one end a
half inches deep. As soon as it was
discovered that the wounds were of so
serious q nature he was taken up stairs
in the elevator and DR.. Robbins applied
all the restoratives which were at hand,
and after great difficulty succeeded in
restoring him to consciousness. He
rubbed the limbs of Mr.. Lightfoot for
fully an hour and found that the left
limb was badly congested, but no bones
had been broken. 1t was supposed at
the time that he had fallen OH
from the verandah, but that the
ory it seems was hardly posi-.
BILE for there was no way to account for
the cut throat, besides it was found that
Mr.. Lightfoot had been robbed of his
parse containing $40 and his ticket to
Gos Angeles. When the wounds were
st first hastily examined it was sup
posed that he might have fallen from
the veraudah and have struck against
some object which would have cut hin
bat in such case the edges of the cut
would have been ragged, whereas wher
the beard was cut away it was found
that the edges were smooth and ap
peared ~ though cut with knife. DR.
Robbins could not otherwise account to
the cleanness Of the cut for the marks o
the knife were plainly visible. Wher
Mr.. Lightfoot recovered consciousness
he whispered that the rooms were quitt
warm and he had gone out to get breall
of fresh air. He remembered sensa-
tion of slipping, but that was all. 1
was hardly possible that he could have
fallen from The verandah without break
ing some of his bones and the most
Rlausible theory seems to be that {
couple Of men seeing him alone
and noticing that he was richly
dressed concluded that he wai
good prey. and one of then
siesed him while the other struck hiu
over the face stunning him and knock
ing out his teeth. While he was losing
his senses he made struggle and on
of the men must have deliberately draw
the knife across his throat to quiet him
They then relieved him of his none!
and aed. Lghtfoot's watch tells tn
tale of the time he was injured for it wa
found in the pocket on the side on whicl
he was lying when found. It had stop
ped at exactly half past two O'Clock ant
he was found at half past three o'clock
If he had not been missed unit
later and had not medical attendance IL
the shape of DR.. Robbins been at hant
there is no questioa but he would have
died shortly afterward. Yesterday
afternoon MIR. Lightfoot was on fall
road to recovery and with good care
he will soon be about but it was a rathel
marrow escape. Earlier in the evening
several rough characters were seen hang
ing around on the beach and lookout II
being kept for them.